Apparatus for setting unburned ware in kilns for burning.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

v J. E. MINTER. APPARATUS FOR-SETTING UNBURNED WARE IN KILNS FOR BURNING.

' APPLICATION FILED 0OT.23, 1902.

no MODEL.

wmnum.

r fla ll HI g M & d

*NITED STATES PATENT. QFFICE- JOHN EASTER MTNTE R, OF MACON, 'GEORGIA.

APPARATUS FOR SETTING UNBURNED WARE lN KILNS FOR BURNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 726,822, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed October 23,1902. Serial No. 128,429 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN EASTER MINTER, of Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Setting Unburned Ware in Kilns for Burning, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for rapidly setting heavy molded articles in a kiln without liability of breaking, chipping, or otherwise disfiguring the ware handled.

The invention is particularly designed to be associated with round downdraft sewerpipe kilns, and is primarily designed for handling unburned sewer-pipes; but the invention is adapted for'other uses, as will suggest themselves when the same is better understood.

The invention includes the parts, combination of parts, and details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and fully pointed out in the claims.

While the invention is susceptible of vari-- ous modifications l have illustrated in the accompanying drawings what I now conceive to be the preferred embodiment thereof.

As illustrated in said drawings, Figure 1 shows the invention in side elevation associated with a round downdraft sewer-kiln,

whichin said figure is shown in vertical sec tional elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the carrying-arm. 'Fig. is a detail longitudinal sectional view of theshaft carrying said arm and the journal-bearing provided for said shaft, and Fig. 4 is a'detail view of the connection between one of the frame-.

pieces of the external swinging frame and the supporting mast for said frame. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modification. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lifting-crab;

As before premised, the invention is primarily intended to be employed in connection with a round downdraft sewer-kiln, and in the accompanying drawings the apparatus is illustrated in this association. The kiln,

as shown in section in Fig. 1, includes a main or outer wall a, an inner fiashor fire wall I), and a crown o, in which an opening 0 is axially arranged. Secured outside and in juxtapositionto the outer walla of the kiln in a suitable base or foundation is a vertical mast 01, upon the upper portion of which a swinging frame e is mounted. This frame preferably comprises three horizontal frame members (designated e, 6 and e in the accompanying drawings)'and' an obliquely-extending brace member eflboltedatits upper and lower ends to the members e e respectively, and intermediately of its length to the central portion of the member 6 The mastispreferably turned down or reduced at the point of attachment of the horizontal members e, 6 and e to provide cylindrical bearing portions therefor, upon each side of which-shoulders are arranged which center said horizontal members, said shoulders beingformed by turning down the mast, as described. The horizontal members are each formed of two parallel strips which embrace at one of their ends opposite sides of the reduced portions of the masts, and blocks is are inserted between said strips adjacent to the mast to complete thebearing-boxes which receive the reduced portions of the latter. The particular construction of the swinging frame and the manner of mounting the same upon the mast constitute but a subordinate feature of the invention,.and thesame-m-ay'be varied or changed within a wide range without departing from the spirit of my invention. The swinging frame constitutes what is termed an exterior support, because it is 4 exterior to the interior of the kiln and sup ports a second supporting part located within the kiln. The particular manner of mounting the swinging frame or exterior support, I

as before premised, is not of primary importance, and various means or constructions,

such as will'readily suggest themselves, may

be employed for the purpose.

- Mounted rigidly in the free end of the frame eis a vertically-arranged sleeve f, which is located such a distance from the mast d relative to the diameter of the kiln with which the apparatus is associated that said sleeve will register with the crown-opening 0 when the frame e is swung to bring the free end thereof overthe center of said kiln. Removably mounted in the sleeve fis a hollow shaft g, which depends through the lower end of the same, passes through said opening 0 into the interior of the kiln, and carries at its lower end a laterally-extending arm h of any desired length. The shaft g is removably journaled in the sleevef, and the arm 71 is removably mounted upon the end thereof for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The shaft g is detachably supported in the sleevef by means of a collar g, which is removably secured to the upper end of the shaft g, which projects above the upper end of said sleeve, the lower edge of the collar thus finding a bearing upon the upper edge of the sleeve. The arm his detachably fitted tothe lower end of the shaft g, and from the free end thereof a brace-rod 72 extends obliquely to a bracket m, bolted upon the shaft g between the lower end of the latter and the lower end of the sleevef. This bracket mis provided with an opening on, with which the hook or on the brace-rod h detachably engages, said rod being provided with a turnbuckle in the length thereof to regulate the tension of the same.

Associated with the arm h is a guide pulley or roller 3, which is adapted to be shifted longitudinally of the former. A second pulley is journaled at a point adjacent to the lower end of the shaft 9, another pulley is journaled-to the lower end of the brace-bar 6 above the upper end of said shaft g, and a fourth pulley is journaled to the upper end of the mast d. Over said pulleys and through the bore of the shaftg a rope or cable is guided, which is secured at one end to a suitable hoist, as a winding-drum, winch, or the like, and at its other end to a clamping member, which is adapted to engage the pipes or other articles to be set within the kiln. This clamping member is preferably formed by a crab 9', designed to engage with the collars of the pipes. The pulley or roller 3 may be adjustably connected to and supported from the arm 77. in any desired manner, and in the accompanying drawings two convenient constructions for this purpose are illustrated. In Fig. 1 the arm h is comprised of two parallel strips spaced a distance apart, provided with a plurality of equidistant-spaced alining openings which are designed to receive the ends of the journal of the roller or pulleys. In Fig. 5 the arm h is shown as constructed of an I-beam, upon the flanges of which a carriage s, in which the pulley s is journaled, is supported,said carriage being adjustable longitudinally thereof.

The amount of free space in the crown ofa kiln of ordinary construction above the upper tier of stacked pipes is quite limited, the arm It just clearing the upper ends of said pipes when turned about its axis. It is important, therefore, that the crab r be of such construction that it will hold the upper end of the pipe which is being set in close juxtaposition to the arm, so that the lower end of said pipe will clear the upper end of the pipes forming the second tier of the stack upon which the third tier is being placed. The crab (illustrated in Fig. 5) has been found to meet the requirements in a satisfactory 1nanner. This device, as shown, com prises gripping ends 1, designed to engage beneath the edge of the collars of the pipes, a depressed connecting portion 2, which depends into the interior of the pipe when the crab is in place thereupon, and a central offset loop 3, with which a knot in the end of the lifting cable or rope engages.

- In the operation of the apparatus the outer row or stack of pipes is first set in the kiln, the pipes being conveyed within the kiln through the door in the side thereof upon a suitable car or truck. To lift the pipes from the car or truck, the cable or rope is slackened off, the crab r engaged with the collar on the pipe to be set, and the hoist operated, which will wind up the cable and lift the pipe to the desired elevation. After the outer row is completely stacked, the pulley or roller .9 is shifted along the arm h toward the axis of the latter to bring the pulley the same radial distance from said axis as the center of the second circumferential row to be set. The procedure described in connection with the setting of the outer row is then followed until the second row is completely stacked, when the pulley or roller is again shifted along the arm 72 to bring the same in position to set the succeeding row within the kiln. As will be appreciated, the articles to be set after they are raised to the desired elevation can be carried completely around the kiln and let down in any desired radial position therein, and thus they may be stacked one upon another until the kiln is filled without liability of breaking or otherwise marring the ware. As will be noted, the pipes during the time they are being moved to the position they are to occupy and when being lowered are held in vertical positions. When the kiln is completely set, it is necessary to remove the setting apparatus before firing up. This may be rapidly done by disengaging the hook at of the brace-rod h from the bracket m and slipping the end of the arm h from the end of the shaft g, when said arm and rod may be passed out of the door of the kiln. The collar g is next removed, releasing the shaft g, which may then be drawn down through the sleeve f and passed up out of the kiln through the crown -opening 0. These parts being removed, the frame 6 is finally swung from over the kiln. The ap paratus may be as quickly reassembled to again set the kiln .by a reverse procedure.

The construction and operation of my invention will be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings, and it will be appreciated that the parts and combinations may be varied within a wide range without departing from the spirit of the same.

W'hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a kiln having an opening through the crown thereof arranged substantially axially of the same, of a slipand carried out of register with said opening,

an interior support, means depending from the free end of the first-named support pro- 'jecting through the crown-opening and engaging said interior support to carry the latter, and means coacting with said interior support for engaging the ware to be set, substantially as described. I

2. The combination with a kiln having an opening through the crown thereof arranged substantially axially of the same, of a support located without the interior of the kiln mounted to have one of its ends brought into -and carried out of register with said opening,

an interior support, means journaled in said end of the exterior support depending therefrom through the crown-opening engaging the interior support to carry the same, and means associated with said interior support for engaging the ware to be set, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a kiln having an opening through the crown thereof, an exterior movable support, a shaft journaled in said support depending through said crownopening and of such relative size that it may be removed therethrough, an interior support carried by said shaft of such size that it may be removed through said opening, and means for adjusting the ware to be set associated with the interior support, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a kiln havingan opening through the crown thereof, of a movable support mounted to be carried into and moved out of register with said opening, means depending from said support extending through the orown-opening,'an interior support carried by said means, and means associated with the interior support for engag ing the ware to be set, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a kiln having an axial opening in the crown thereof, of a setting apparatus comprising an exterior support, an interior support, means carried by said exterior support depending through said crown-opening and carrying the interior support, and a lifting and supporting cable, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a kiln having an opening in the wall thereof, of an apparatus for setting unburned waretherein comprising a support arranged without the kiln, a support arranged within the latter, a shaft carrying the second support, said shaft passing through the kiln-opening and being revolubly mounted in the first support, and a lifting and supporting cable, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a kiln having an opening in the crown thereof, of a setting apparatus comprising a mast located without said kiln and in close proximity thereto, a

support revolubly mounted thereupon, a sleeve secured in the free end of said support designed to be registered with said opening, a shaft journaled in said sleeve and depending therefrom through said opening, a laterally-extending arm secured to the end of said shaft, and a rope or cable, substantially as described.

8. The combination with akiln havingan' opening in the crown thereof, of a setting apparatus comprising a vertical mast, a swinging frame mounted thereupon, a sleeve journaled in the free end of said'frame, a hollow shaft journaled in said sleeve and depending therefrom through said opening in the kiln, an arm secured to the end of said shaft and extending laterally therefrom, guide pulleys or rollers, a cable guided over said pulleys and through said hollow shaft, and an engaging member carried by said cable, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a kiln having an opening in the crown thereof, of a setting ape, paratus comprising a Vertical mast, a swinging frame mounted thereupon, a sleeve fixed in the free end of said frame, a shaft journaled in said sleeve and removable therefrom,

an arm detachably secured'to the lower end of said shaft and extending laterally from the same, a cable and an engaging member car'- ried thereby, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a kiln having an opening in the crown thereof, of a setting apparatus comprisinga mast, a swinging frame,

a sleeve secured in the free end .thereof,-a hollow shaft journaled therein and depending through the opening in said kiln, an arm secured to the lower end of said shaft and extending laterally therefrom, guide pulleys or rollers mounted adjacent to the upper. and

lower ends of said shaft, a guide-pulley mounted in said arm to move-longitudinally of the same, a cable guided over said pulleys and through said hollow shaft, and an engaging member secured to the end of said cable, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a kiln having an tachably secured at its other end to said.

shaft, a cable and an engaging member secured to one end thereof, substantially as (1 scribed.

12. The combination with a kiln having an axial opening in the crown thereof, of asetting apparatus comprising a mast, a swinging frame mounted thereupon, a sleeve designed,v

to be registered with said opening secured in.

the free endof said frame, a hollow shaft re- Inovablyjournaled in said sleeve depending from the lower end thereof through said axial opening in the kiln, a bracket secured to said shaft, an arm 'detachably secured to the lower end of the shaft and extending laterally from the same, a brace-rod secured at one end to said arm and at the other end to said bracket, pulleys or rollers mounted adjacent to the upper and lower ends of said shaft, a pulley mounted in said arm to move longitudinally of the same, a cable guided over said pulleys and through said shaft, and an engaging member secured to one end of said cable, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting Witnesses, at Macon, in the county of Bihb and State of Georgia, this 9th day of October, 1902.

JOHN EASTER MINTER.

Vitnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, M. M. MINTER. 

